Coast Guard rescues 3 near Humboldt Bay

MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. — The Coast Guard rescued three people Tuesday evening after they had become isolated in the forest south of Eureka.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department personnel notified Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders at approximately 8:20 p.m., Tuesday, reporting that a 14-year-old female was lost in the woods near the Ridgewood area. Reports indicated that the girl had gone hiking behind her house and had become disorientated.

Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay personnel dispatched a helicopter crew to the position provided by local authorities and immediately identified the girl, as she pointed the screen of her cell phone toward the sky. The helicopter remained on scene and assisted in vectoring two searchers on the ground to the girl’s location. Once she was found, the helicopter was cleared to return to base as the searchers began to move toward first responders with the girl.

Shortly after, the searchers and the girl became isolated in challenging terrain. Humboldt County Sheriff’s requested further assistance from the Coast Guard in order to return the search party to safety.

The Coast Guard helicopter crew returned to the scene, located the two stranded searchers and the girl, hoisted all three aboard the helicopter and transferred them to Saint Joseph Hospital in Eureka.